Tonight is the night!

Tonight is the night we start all of our Wonderful Wednesday events!  The catered dinner will start serving at 5:30 at Briargate.  The cost is only $3/person or a maximum of $12/family.  At 6:30, Bill Winaski will be a featured speaker.  He'll talk on Enriching Your Marriage.  Bill is a licensed counselor and heads our counseling team.  Also at 6:30 is the beginning of children and youth events.  All of this, except youth, will be at the Briargate campus.  Youth will meet at Woodmen.  (By the way, Matt Lurz, our new youth guy, is here!)

The reservations for Wednesday evening have been great, so come out, join your friends, makes some new ones and have a wonderful Wednesday!

This weekend is our Sunday School Promotion!  Our children will move to their new grades and we'll have a special promotion on Saturday evening and at 10:00 at Woodmen and 10:30 at Briargate. 

See you tonight and this weekend!

Grace and peace,
Marv Vose

P.S.  This Friday, the Sunrise Choir will sing the national anthem at the Sky Sox Game!  Way to go choir!


Sunrise Players is bringing "It's a Wonderful Life," the musical, to the Woodmen campus stage in October.  We are looking for musicians and a music director.  If you play flute, clarinet, sax, French horn, trumpet, percussion, viola, cello or bass and would like to serve in this ministry, please call Kim Castellanet at 499-3525 or email at kimcastellanet@hotmail.com. 
We sould like to keep all proceeds in house for this performance.


Car Dollie needed.  Call Mike Hepler, 265-1030

 

Can you believe that summer is almost over? 

The days are getting a little shorter.

The air is cooler (some days!)  Children are starting back to school!  

The seasons are changing.  And although, we don't slow down during the summer, some people travel and go on vacations, so you don't always get to see your friends every weekend.  Now the fall routine will start again.  And there is lots going on!

For the next three weeks, we'll study the "Lost Part of the Trinity."  Most of us are comfortable with the idea of God as Father and Son, but when we start talking about the Holy Spirit-well, that's a different story.  But it is all a part of God and because of that, we don't want to miss out on it!
August 23 and 24 will be Children's Promotion.  They will officially start in their new classes!  That's always an exciting time for parents, children and teachers!
On September 6 and 7, we'll start a new, all-church study entitled "Live Like You Were Dieing!"  This will last just 4 weeks, but it has the potential to change the way we think and live!  Many of our existing small groups and life groups will be using this material, which includes daily readings and weekly lessons.  We'll also be starting new small groups, just for this.  So plan on being a part and signing up!  It will be a great study and you'll have a chance to make new friends!

I look forward to seeing you in worship this weekend! 

Grace and peace,
Marv Vose


Scholarship applications due by Aug 22.  For application e mail rogerh@sunriseumc.com or call at 598-7013.

August newsletter (Communicator) available.  Click the link at the bottom of this letter.  Or go to sunriseumc.com, News and Events, click on Newsletter

 

The Heat Is On!

Are you glad to have a little relief this week from the heat?  While the summer heat is taking a break, things are heating up for the fall here at Sunrise.  The choir and orchestra are back from their summer break and we are gearing up for the kick-off of our Sunday morning and Wednesday night programs for children, youth, and adults.  Check the Communicator (available on-line at http://www.sunriseumc.com/files/newsletter.pdf) or weekend worship bulletin for more details.

We are right in the middle of 40 Days of Mission here at Sunrise and I want to say Thank You to all of you who have participated through hands on service, through advance work, and through prayer to make this such an incredible time.  Last weekend Sunrise was a part of the Back to School Fair for Northern Churches Care:  helping to provide goods and services to over 400 children who were in need as they prepared for the start of the school year.  We'll be telling you about more ways to get involved in serving Christ by serving others this weekend in worship. 

Yes, and worship!  You won't want to miss this weekend at Sunrise.  The choir and orchestra will be playing; Steve Wilcox will be singing a special piece; and we'll be talking more about missions and how each of us fits into the picture.

Don't miss out!  We'll save a seat for you!

Have a blessed week!

Kirsten



Applications due for student scholarships  -  August 22.  E mail rogerh@sunriseumc.com for application or call Sunrise office to get one by regular mail.  598-7013


August Communicator (newsletter) is available on the web page.  Sunriseumc.com, News & Events, click on Newsletter.  OR click on the link at the bottem of this letter.

Bulletin is on the Web page too.  Have a look at the announcements and order of worship.

 

Summer at Sunrise!

After a well-deserved vacation. the choir and orchestra will be back at Briargate this weekend!  Doyle Combs has put together some wonderful worship and the services will be filled with great music!  Come and welcome the choir and orchestra back!

We are in the middle of our 40 Days of Mission and so much has been happening!  Thanks to all of you who have worked, prayed and supported our mission projects to date.  If you haven't been able to plug in yet, we have more coming!  There is still time!

We are going to be celebrating the 40 days in a special and surprising way this weekend.  I don't want to tell you too much, so you'll just have to be in worship this weekend to find out how we are doing it! 

Our 40 Days missions are organized opportunities to help the community, but Sunrise builds people who are in mission in individual and special ways all over the world.  Some of you know Chris Patterson.  She grew up at Sunrise.  Most recently, she has been performing in China, but the earthquake got in the way of that.  In spite of the earthquake and because of it, she has found ways to be in ministry to the people of China.  You can go to this website http://www.gxtv.cn/VNews/ShowSoft.asp?SoftID=5998 and see Chris visiting and consoling children in China hospitalized by the earthquake. 

I must say that I am so proud of Chris for taking this ministry opportunity.  I am so proud of Sunrise for creating a community that encourages this kind of service.  It is a privilege for me to be your pastor!  Thanks.

Grace and peace,


Marv Vose   


Scholarship applications are now available via e mail.  Send request to rogerh@sunriseumc.com.

 

Thanks to all for a great Saturday!

What a fantastic Saturday we had serving BBQ at the Marion House! Over 200 volunteers sacrificed a part of their weekend to make this happen.  Over 700 meals were served-a new record!  Thanks to all of you for serving.  Thanks to everyone who made donations.  And thanks to everyone who prayed.  What a great day!

The high point of the day for me happened while I was passing out sodas to the guests.  (Sodas, by the way, are a real treat!  They normally get lemonade or water.)  One young lady asked me about the BBQ and picnic idea.  She asked, "Why are you doing this?  Why are you being so nice to us?"  Her question caught me off guard just a bit, but finally I said, "We are doing it because Jesus told us to."  What a privilege to be able to share that little piece of good news!

This is our last week of Camp Meetings!  I've been talking about how God is always working in our lives and how God's work is always perfect for where we are at the moment.  This weekend, I'll talk about "God's Unexpected Gift."  We'll have more great music!  ("Red and the Boys" singing.)  And more great worship!

See you this weekend in church.

Grace and peace,
Marv Vose

 

Saturday is the big day! 

We'll be at the Marion House Soup Kitchen providing a BBQ for the needy of Colorado Springs.  Over 200 people from church have signed up to help!  If you didn't have a chance to sign-up, just show up!  We'll put you to work.  If you can't be there, you can at least pray!  Folks have generously covered the costs of the meal as well. So thanks to all of you who are making this kick-off to our 40 Days of Mission such a grand event!  Let me say a special thank you to Gary and Karen Wiensch.  They came up with the idea and have been the driving force behind it!  It wouldn't have happened without them.

Camp Meetings Going Strong!
We are well into our camp meetings-casual worship and great music! Last weekend I started a three-part series on the Basics of Grace.  God is always active in our lives but God acts in different ways depending on where we are in our faith journey.  Knowing how God works helps us notice that divine action. 

If you missed last week, you can get the message at our church website (www.sunriseumc.com) or pick up a CD at the church "store" in the Atrium at Briargate.

This week, we'll talk about "Doubt and Assurance."  Is it OK to doubt?  Do you have to doubt?  How does that impact your faith?  How does God work in the midst of that? We'll cover some good questions!

See you this weekend in worship!  You won't want to miss it!

Grace and peace,
Marv Vose

The BBQ at the Marian House is doing great but we still could use a little more help.  If you're coming out on the 19th can you bring a cooler full of ice and if you can,  please call or email Gary Wiensch 337-8538  - garyw@sunriseumc.com because we don't want to get more than we have room for.  We are also looking for some free standing awnings to borrow.  Let Gary know if you have one we can use.

We were asked to please make sure that we keep all the garbage picked up at all times so as not to upset any of the neighbors if the wind comes up.  If you have small buckets, such as beach pails, gallon ice cream buckets or just small buckets we are planning to put some of the children to work policing the area and using them for garbage.

Pepsi has agreed to donate 1000 cans of soda but we are asking that each person only take one at first so we make sure we have enough for the guests.

Come on out and help and have some fun at the same time.  See you at the Marian House.   Info and a map will be in the bulletin this weekend.

 

Summer Camp Meetings!

What a great start to our camp meetings we had last week!  We'll continue to worship in that relaxed, informal, enthusiastic way throughout the month of July.  But every week will be special, so you don't want to miss any of them!

I'll be talking about "The Basics of Grace" for the next three weeks.  God's grace always meets us where we are.  Our Christian development has some major steps along the way.  This weekend we'll be talking about how God's grace begins its work in our lives.  The message title is "Just by Trust."  I'll explain that more this weekend! 

This will be the last week for the Slider family.  Many of you know Dale Slider as the Lay Leader of our congregation.  Susan Slider has been the moving force behind the Connection Café and the catering done at church.  So, in honor of their ministry, we are going to have a Farewell Dinner this Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. and we aren't even going to have Susan cook!  (Ron Cilek has been nice enough to volunteer for the cooking.)  So if you would like to celebrate the Slider's ministry with us and say "good-bye," come this Saturday evening to Woodmen at 7:00 p.m.

And I'll see you in worship this weekend!

Blessings,

Marv Vose 

The July Communicator is available on-line.  Just click on "Newsletter" below and get the latest information on what's happening at church. If you would like to get a paper copy of this, please call the church office at 598-7013 or rogerh@sunriseumc.com..

 

Camp meetings!

Our Camp Meeting worship services begin this weekend.  We have not done these summer favorites for some time, but I know you will enjoy them!  They will be relaxed, informal, powerful and filled with great music!  The services have their origin in the American frontier, so the style and order of service will be a little different.  But you are going to love it!

40 Days of Mission

40 Days of Mission is just around the corner.  We'll start on July 19^th by working with the Marion House Soup Kitchen to provide a picnic and a barbeque for the working poor and homeless in our community.

What a great kick-off for our 40 Days of Mission!  Jesus specifically invites us to feed the hungry and thirsty, clothe the needy, and visit those who are sick and in prison.  When we do that, we do it for Jesus!  Most of us never have an opportunity to personally provide for those who really struggle with the basics of life.  July 19^th is that opportunity!  We'll do it specifically for Jesus. 

Just one word of caution:  please do not expect to be thanked for your service.  Please do not expect any expressions of gratitude.  I know that is pretty ingrained in all of us, but that will probably not happen at this event.  There are too many issues of power and self-esteem involved for gratitude to be shared.  But God will definitely take note of this!

Thanks in advance for all of your help.  Please sign-up at worship this week-end or pick up one of the cards that tells how you can help.  There is a great variety of tasks required to make this a success.  And please join me in praying for this will be for God's glory.

See you in worship this weekend!

Blessings,


Marv Vose

 

It's been a Beach Party at church this week!

Vacation Bible School kids have been surfin' through the scriptures.  The theme of the week is taken from I John 3:18.  "Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action."  What a great passage of scripture!  And from the noise level and all of the smiles, they have really been living out this scripture!

Thanks to everyone who has worked so hard-teachers, helpers, musicians, storytellers, snack makers and on and on.  You have all done a terrific job!  Special thanks goes to Sharilyn Bartelt for organizing everything and making it run so smoothly.  Great job!

This weekend, we'll get to hear the VBS kids sing!  They will be at the Saturday evening service at 6:00 p.m. at Woodmen and at the 10:30 service at Briargate.  You won't want to miss this!

See you this weekend in worship!

Grace and peace,

Marv Vose